Seasons of Magic: A Girl's Journey

We all have teachers in our lives; whether we can recognize them for what they are or are thankful for them, they are there. Some teach us about life and love, some teach us about math and science and some teach us about ourselves, and our spirits. Season's of Magic is the story of a young girl's journey, with a much loved teacher, through the seasons of a year and a crash course in the seasons of life. Erin is curious about her family's practice of celebrating the changing of the seasons. In class she listens with interest as her friend Rachel explains why Christmas is so important to her family, and Erin discovers that she isn't sure why her family celebrates the Winter Solstice. Her mother suggests that she ask Evangeline, an elderly neighbor, to teach her about the seasonal changes and the magic within them. Through her studies in the natural world of Mother Nature Erin discovers that with each celebration and changing season, she is changing in her relationships with others and with herself. She is learning about the world and people, and her family's religious beliefs. A particularly hard lesson is one which we could all use some help in dealing with, the death of a dear friend. This book is a wonderful guide to the seasonal holidays, for children and adults alike. It is written in a gentle tone that makes it seem as if Evangeline is there for us all, and in a way, she is. It does not put down other religious beliefs but rather encourages an exploration of the similarities and differences between religions, all in a child's point of view. At the end of the book is a specific guide to the Wheel of the Year and all of the holidays therein. It is a workbook to help guide the reader through an exploration of the seasons and includes a glossary of terms just to make things perfectly clear. Finally, Season's of Magic is the guide book you may have been looking for to help children embrace and celebrate the magic of the seasons in a heart touching and loving tale they can relate to.

I have been studying Paganism for 5 years, have read dozens of books, and found this book to be the easiest one for laying out great seasonal themes for the household and wonderful, easy to understand explaination of the old ways and the wheel of the year. Because of this book, I am more equipped to instruct my young child in an easy to understand, fun and creative manner. Five Stars!!!

Seasons of Magic: A Girl's Journey by Laurel Ann Reinhart introduces pre-teen kids to the wheel of the year through the story of a 12-year-old girl. Always on the look-out for Pagan parenting resources, I decided to have a look at this book. I approached it with some initial skepticism, simply because in my own childhood I moved directly from children's books to adult books, never finding much in the "fiction for young readers" genre to capture my interest.The premise of the book is that the main character, Erin, raised in a Pagan family, is curious to learn more about the seasonal celebrations, and begins receiving instruction from an elderly friend. Reading the first couple chapters, it looked like Erin's story was sort of a gimmick to make the informational content more digestible for young people, which didn't strike me as terribly necessary or even very effectively done.As I continued, though, I was pleasantly surprised to watch Erin's relationships with her friends change and grow. This theme is handled with a welcome, low-key realism, showing an awareness of human nature and the rhythms of life. Erin has non-Pagan friends, and this delicate issue is also handled in a positive, non-melodramatic way. Pagan interest in helping the environment is also conveyed with the same gentle practicality. By the middle of the book, I was appreciating it as a reading experience for myself, parenting thoughts aside.Erin's wise-woman teacher dies before the wheel is completed. Erin, with the help of family and friends, makes contact with her again through a Samhain ritual, which closes the wheel and ends the story. Up to this point, the magic in the book had been essentially of the "natural" sort, the wonders of the changing seasons. This chapter, necessarily, presents Pagan magic in a more direct fashion, and it is wonderfully done. The depth of the experience is conveyed, without indulging in exaggeration that would prompt a young reader to see the book as a fantasy novel. Erin's reaction to the experience also seems very natural and genuine.At the end of the book, after the story concludes, there is a nice compilation of informational matter relating to the wheel of the year, which a young person could actually use to develop their own appreciation of our sacred days.This book does a fine job of conveying Pagan beliefs and practices as a natural and integral part of life. It might be a little too low-key for some kids, though, and kids older than the character in the book would probably prefer something more teen-focused. I would recommend it for ages 8-12. This is not by any means a great milestone of Pagan literature, but it is a nice addition to a family bookshelf, addressing an age group that has received too little attention from Pagan authors and publishers.

I thought that this book may have been just for children, but I had such a fun time reading it. The softly drawn pictures really make this book come alive and the writing is smooth, easy to read, and very informative. I am very excited to read this book to my child and share with him the hows and whys of Mother Earth's sacred days. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I think you will, too, especially if you have a child to share it with.

I look forward to having my daughter read this book when she reaches 10. It gives her a way to understand and celebrate the changing seasons.It also offers great ways to share in the seasonal rituals with a workbook of ideas. And the glossary is very helpful. An easy and fun read. As a mother it helps me appreciate how to bring the rituals into my family's life.